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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

2014 Emmy Predictions and Hopefuls: Best Supporting Actress

Recently, the Emmy's released every person and show eligible in all of their categories for the 2014 Primetime Emmy's for their nomination ballot. This post is dedicated to everything related to Outstanding Supporting Actress in both the comedy and drama series categories. It will be both who I think will actually earn a nomination as well as who I think deserves to earn a nomination. However, there is one main ground rule- I have to go off of the actual Emmy nomination ballot. Which means that if the actress isn't actually eligible to earn a nomination in real life, she's not eligible to be mentioned in this post. Makes sense, doesn't it? Let's begin!

Anna Gunn won last year for her work in Breaking Bad Season 5a, and she was even better in Breaking Bad 5b. Not only is she a lock to earn another nomination this year, she's (rightfully) the favorite to win it all.

Maggie Smith is a former winner in this category, and has earned a Supporting Actress nomination every year she's been eligible. If Anna Gunn doesn't win, then Maggie Smith will. Smith's co-star Joanna Froggatt was nominated in this category two years ago, but was not nominated last year. Considering I stopped watching Downton Abbey two seasons ago because it's duller than a butter knife, I have no idea if Anna Bates' story lines got any better or worse. However, considering I'm expecting some attrition from last year's nominees plus there's a weak overall field, when in doubt go with Downton Abbey and a former nominee.

Christine Baranski and Archie Panjabi are no strangers to this category as well. Baranski is a cool 4 for 4 when it comes to being eligible for her work on The Good Wife and earning a Supporting Actress nomination. I see no reason she doesn't make it 5 four 5. Panjabi was only nominated three out the four times she was eligible, as she failed to earn a nomination in 2013, despite the fact that she won this award in 2010. However, I heard her story line last year was downright atrocious (I just finished Season 1 of The Good Wife, give me time to catch up on the show so I can judge for myself!) and I'm betting the writers fixed it so she earns a nomination this year.

Lastly, we have Michelle Monaghan. She was a terribly written character throughout the entire run of True Detective, and if Emmy voters saw the season as a whole, Monaghan wouldn't earn a nomination. However, that's not how the Emmy system works. Voters vote based upon a single episode and not a season as a whole. This system helps Monaghan who has an excellent Emmy submission episode, "Haunted Houses", and will ride True Detective's coattails to a nomination.

Last year, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Morena Baccarin (Homeland) both earned nominations for the first time, but I feel they are unlikely to earn a second one this year. Emilia Clarke had an incredible Emmy submission episode last year when she and her dragons ransacked an entire city; however, the Khaleesi's story line this season has just been dreadful, and I can't imagine she earns another one this year. I think Baccarin fails to earn a nomination this year because I think overall support for Homeland across all categories will falter because of how bad the show got last year.

I think the biggest shocker will be when Christina Hendricks fails to earn a nomination for her role as Joan Harris on Mad Men. After earning an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nomination in the show's sophomore season, she continued to earn four more nominations in a row. History tells you that Hendricks is getting a nomination. The problem is that Joan Harris as a character did absolutely nothing during Mad Men's season this year. She has no shining moment and her Emmy submission episode is weak. She might get a nomination because she has name recognition and this is a weak field. But based solely on merits alone, Hendricks doesn't earn a nomination. Not this year.IF I HAD AN EMMY BALLOT:

As strongly as I disliked Season 2 of House of Cards, the clear shining star was Molly Parker's Jackie Sharp as the new Majority Whip. She was a well defined character with strong plot arcs and really was the only reason to binge watch House of Cards in 2014.

Last year, this category had seven nominees, and I could easily see seven lovely ladies earning a nomination again. This category is extremely deep, and the addition of shows like Orange Is The New Black and Mom made it even deeper.

First, let's start with the locks. Sophia Vergara and Julie Bowen are locks because their adults who star in Modern Family, and Bowen even more so because she's a two-time winner in this category. Merritt Weaver is also a lock considering she's the reigning champion of this category.

On the next tier I'll put Anna Chlumsky because she earned a nomination last year and the Emmy's are huge Veep fans. The show itself has two straight Outstanding Comedy Series nominations and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale are both Emmy winners for their work on the HBO political comedy.

Next, we have Allison Janney. While I've only seen a handful of episodes of Mom and I wasn't a fan because the show is hacky and not funny, the Emmy's love, love, LOVE Allison Janney. She's a four-time Emmy winner for her work on The West Wing and has another two nominations on top of that. She's going to earn herself a nomination in this category as well as an Outstanding Guest Actress for her incredible work on Masters of Sex.

Lastly, we have Kate Mulgrew who plays Red on Orange Is The New Black. Mulgrew is an industry insider (she played Capt. Kathryn Janeway for many years on Star Trek: Voyager) who is fantastic on OITNB and has an excellent Emmy submission episode (probably "Tit Punch"). I also think Orange Is The New Black is going to earn a butt load of Emmy nominations and is going to come up roses come nomination time.

Mayim Bialik and Jane Lynch both earned nominations last year, and it seems foolish to think The Big Bang Theory could LOSE an Emmy nomination, but I believe stronger competition will win out. Plus, I just personally think Bialik's character is terrible and deserves no National recognition.

Truthfully, this entire category can and should be filled with actresses from Orange Is The New Black. However, I can only select candidates based upon their actual eligibility, and only four actresses from OITNB are eligible here. Out of the four I didn't choose, one of them is Laura Prepon who is by far and away the worst actress on the show, and Samira Wiley, who's character probably isn't even in my top 15 of favorite inmates in Litchfield.

POTENTIAL OBVIOUS SNUB: Cristin Milioti (HIMYM)

As fucking terrible as How I Met Your Mother's final season was, there was one redeeming quality to it, the presence of Cristin Milioti as The Mother. Plus, her Emmy submission episode is most likely the show's 200th episode "How Your Father Met Me" which was actually one of the show's best episodes of all time. Not the best episode of Season 9, but one of the best episodes the show has ever done. It was great and Milioti shouldn't be faulted for the failures of Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.

WHICH SUPPORTING ACTRESS DO YOU THINK GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE LAST YEAR? LET US KNOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!